Policy No. 85-40
Date: 10/01/85
Revised: 11/1/2010
DEFINITION OF TEACHING, SCHOLARLY ACTIVITY AND
SERVICE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
The faculty of the institution are collectively responsible for professional
contributions to the areas of teaching, service, and research and scholarly
activities. As stated in UW-Stout 3.06, "the relative importance of these
functions in the evaluation process shall be decided by departmental, school,
college, and institutional faculties in accordance with the mission and needs of
the institution." In establishing their professional expectations, all levels of
administrative units, beginning with departments, shall incorporate the
following definitions in their evaluation process in making recommendations
for promotion, tenure, retention, and merit.
2.0 TEACHING
Faculty participates in the teaching-learning process in these ways: instruction,
evaluation, student-academic advisement, academic program planning, and
curriculum development.
Instruction is the imparting of knowledge, developing of skills and attitudes,
and meeting of special needs in various ways ranging from structured to
individualized activities, including instructional support activities which aid
and enrich the teaching-learning process.
Evaluation is vital to the instruction process and is a basis for academic
program planning and student advising.
Academic advising is the sharing of information between faculty and student
regarding the student's academic progress or professional goals, and assists the
student in maximizing the benefits from the educational experience.
Academic program planning identifies educational goals and contributes to
their implementation.
Curriculum development may be directed towards either course or program
development and may involve credit or non-credit activities. This is facilitated
by individual involvement and collaboration with colleagues, and
recommendations to the appropriate committees where necessary.
3.0 RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIP
Faculty participates in applied and theoretical research and scholarship through
activities which lead to the application or utilization of knowledge and
invention, and to creative activities which produce new works of literature,
music, and the fine arts. The results of scholarly, creative or applied research
may be shared by performance, exhibitions, oral presentations, publications, or
application of innovations on or off campus.
Research and scholarship play a vital role in faculty, program and course
development contributing to both individual professional fulfillment and
teaching excellence.
As the faculty chooses to engage in research and scholarly activities, the
University will provide support whenever possible. The departments will
identify the roles of research and scholarship for their respective disciplines and
define the relationship that these activities will play in personnel matters such
as promotion, tenure, retention, and merit.
Each academic department must establish their own definition of research that will guide faculty
through promotion and the pre and post tenured-processes. The departments’ definition(s) of
research should be in accordance with the established definition of research found in the Faculty
and Staff Unclassified Handbook under Definition of Teaching, Research and Services (UWStout 85-40), subsection Research and Scholarship.
4.0 PROFESSIONAL AND PUBLIC SERVICE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE
INSTITUTION
Faculty participates in professional and public service and makes contributions
to the institution through utilization of special skills or expertise in the
resolution of problems or in application to specific needs.
Professional service may include memberships and leadership in professional
organization; attendance, participation and presentations at professional
meetings, conferences, workshops and in-service sessions.
Public service is the application of professional expertise by active involvement
as an advisor or consultant to business, government, and non-campus groups.
Consulting may be contractual or non-contractual, paid or unpaid.
Contribution to the institution includes governance activities as a member or
resource to appointive/elective groups or committees at the System, University,
school/division, department or discipline levels. It also includes serving as an
advisor to on-campus groups or individuals.
5.0 USE OF DEFINITIONS
The above definitions will be used for at least the following purposes:
5.1
Departments shall use these definitions for clarification of departmental
expectations regarding teaching, research, and service, and shall incorporate
these definitions where appropriate in Department By-Laws. Such inclusion
shall be made by the time the By-Laws are submitted for review.
5.2
Departments shall use the definitions for making departmental personnel
policies and personnel decisions.
5.3
Schools and colleges shall incorporate the definitions, where appropriate for use, into
their By-Laws.
5.4
Schools and colleges shall use the definitions in making their personnel decisions and
policies.
5.5
University and Faculty Senate committees shall use the definitions in
making their recommendations regarding University policies and procedures.
5.6
University and Faculty Senate committees shall use the definitions in
making their personnel decisions.